


To Love You: John Seed

by EmoPenguin4



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Cult, Fluff, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-10 07:28:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15286710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmoPenguin4/pseuds/EmoPenguin4
Summary: John Seed is new to the neighborhood and Garret Johnson shows interest.





	1. This Is New

**Author's Note:**

> I'm aiming for the 10k slow burn, so you're seeing 10 chapters at minimum.

Garret walked over to the house he knows his crush would be in. He knocks on the door, holding a letter behind his back.

"Coming," a voice responds, footsteps approaching the door. The door opens to reveal John, casually dressed in a blue button up and slacks. "What do you need?"

Garret clears his throat nervously and clutches his letter tighter. "I wanted to talk with you in private?"

John smiles and opens the door wider. "Come in and have a seat. I'll get some drinks. What do you want?"

Garret walks in, slightly nervous. "Just water is fine."

John walks in the general direction of the kitchen and fetches some glasses of water while Garret considers where and when to leave his letter. He was sweating nervously and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Garret is not ready to just drop the letter somewhere in here.

John returns with the glasses and sets them down, taking a seat and urging Garret to do the same. "What is it that you wanted to speak with me about?"

Garret desperately tries to find words. "Ah, yes, I... I wanted to invite you to my house this weekend for dinner?"

"Hoh," John smiles, clearly intrigued. "And why is that?"

"I... wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood?"

John leans forward on his side of the table, eyes twinkling with interest. He drums his fingers on the table, probably to delay the conversation and test Garret's limits. "This Saturday?"

"I. Yes. Saturday," Garret tries not to let his eyes wander, seriously concentrating on looking at John and remembering not to stare. Blink or he'll think you a fool in love.

"You know, for someone inviting me to their home," John starts, resting his chin on hands raised on the table, "you're awfully nervous. Was the welcome not warm enough?"

"I'm trying to overcome my social anxiety. A psychologist friend suggested I try something like this."

John's expression falters for a moment, but reinforces his light mood. "Is that so? And why pick me? Surely there are other new people to welcome?"

Garret's throat feels very dry. He swallows. Focus, look at him. Blink. Blink blink blink. "You seemed pleasant," he decided. "And you welcomed me into your home."

"Not quite used to the prospect of more neutral people?"

"Neutral people probably contain neutral displeasure."

John laughs. A light, grounded laughter that make Garret think of leaves falling on a grassy lawn. "Well, I promise you that my demeanor isn't just for show," John replies with a smile. "Don't worry." He leans back, relaxing into his seat. "For you, I'll say 'yes'."

Garret blinks. Why was he here again? To invite John over for dinner, right? He did that, can he leave now? Is it rude to stay and impose or leave right away? He realizes it's much more rude to be silent. "Ah, yes. That. Thank you for your response."

"No problem," John feels Garret's tension, all forced manners and confused actions. "You can leave, but I have some banana bread baked if you wanted to stay and hang out?"

Is John really trying to give an invite, too? Garret blinks. He swallows. "Would that be alright?"

"Of course, I invited you."

"I really like banana loaves."

John smiles, this time with teeth. "Then you'll love the family recipe."

"Can't wait to try it."

John stands up, walking to his oven. "And you can leave that letter on the table."

Garret sputters and coughs. He tries to recover and wipes sweat from his brow. He leaves the letter on the table as requested, and walks over to John to see if he needs any help.

"Could you get me a knife and one of the long plates I use for bread?"

Garret moves to what looks like a place you'd hold utensils and plates. He finds what he needs and places the items within easy access for John. The bread comes out and goes on the plate. It smells divine.

"It tastes pleasant, too. I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

John slices the bread into appropriately-sized loaves and brings the plate to his living room. Garret awkwardly shuffles his feet before following John.

The newest flat screen TV. Shit, did he get a crush on a rich neighbor? Oh, no, no, no. They're harder to impress. "Come sit with me," John insists as he falls into place, leaving enough room on the couch for Garret to feel socially awkward.

Garret breathes and places one foot in front of the other. He eventually finds the right-hand end of the couch and sits near the armrest. He tries to focus on breathing and relaxing. He was invited in, too. He shouldn't have to panic or worry.

"What do you usually like to do? Hobbies, I mean," John asks as he flips through channels. He finally settles on a channel that shows lifestyle-related shows, such as cooking, decoration, and more.

Garret considers his answers. "I like wood carving."

"Anything else," he replies with a gentle tone. If Garret didn't know any better, he'd say John was genuinely trying to keep him comfortable enough to talk. "Or if not, what are your subjects for carving?"

"I usually carve objects or novelties. Simple things like maybe a totem or a small weapon. Kids like to play with swords and such." Garret looks at his hands, covered in scars from accidents with the knife and callouses from handling wood. "I also like riddles and drinking."

John scrunches his nose when Garret mentions drinking. "Then answer this," he starts to test Garret's knowledge, "what has four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?"

Garret smiles. "A basic one. That would be a human. The morning means infancy, the afternoon means adulthood, and the evening means old age. Babies crawl, adults walk, and the elderly sometimes use walking aids."

"It has a tongue but never talks; it has no legs but sometimes walks."

Garret turns his head and looks at John. "A shoe."

"What's man's best friend?"

Garret allows himself to laugh. Soft, maybe subdued. "Dogs. Preferably golden retrievers."

John smiles with a laugh. "What starts with a G and ends," a mumble, "with me?"

Garret looks off into the distance to think of an answer. Huh, that's something he's never answered. "Ends... with you? Could you clarify?"

"That would spoil the fun, I think," John responds thoughtfully.

Garret huffs and turns to look at the TV. "What are your interests?"

"Writing, perhaps. And tattoos." John shows his forearm to Garret. Oh, he can definitely see that. "And maybe you've already noticed, but I enjoy baking."

"What do you usually write?"

John's hand clenches, but his face remains unchanged. "Fantasy. It's fun to write about heroes with special skills and their attempt to eradicate evil."

Touchy subject, maybe. "What do you usually bake?"

"Usually loaves. Sometimes cakes. Rarely cookies." John stares at the TV, taking stock of how the pastry chef onscreen spreads icing on the bottoms layers of a layered cake. "Though someday, I'd love to have a reason to make a wedding cake."

Garret doesn't trust himself to say anything without giving himself away. He simply nods and cracks a smile.

"Maybe I'll find a good life partner I can settle with. We can be equals in love."

Garret's eyes start darting around nervously. "I wish the very best for you."

"I'm sure I'll find what I'm looking for in the near future," John lets out in a wistful tone. "Wouldn't you agree, Mr...?"

Garret's throat dries suddenly. "We never introduced ourselves to each other, did we?"

"I'm Jonathan Seed. Please, just call me John."

Garret swallows. "Garret. Garret Johnson."

John turns his head with a pleasant smile on his face and extends his hand once more. "Nice to meet you, Garret."

Garret does his best to smile and take John's hand. "Nice to meet you, John."


	2. Double Platonic Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John gets pulled into a visit to the café thanks to his brother Jacob. He doesn't realize just who Jacob's friend is connected to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pray for me, I have to write for Jacob too

John stretches his body, cracks his knuckles, and lets out a yawn. He feels like he's succeeded in making Garret interested. Any connection will do, even if Garret currently just considers John as "that rich neighbor who bakes like a boss".

But anyway, Jacob invited him to hit up a cafe with a friend his brother was interested in. This would be the perfect time to play wingman. John can brush up his skills with the second friend, too. Just some harmless flirting to practice and perfect.

He looks at himself in the mirror and considers his outfit. A baby blue button-up with a black vest and some black slacks. Simple yet effective, he thinks to himself while looking for anything out of place. Sensing that everything was just fine, he walks out of his house and considers whether to bother Jacob.

With keys and wallet in hand, John ends up at Jacob's front door, knocking impatiently. It takes a few minutes before Jacob opens the door, responding with an impatient "What?!"

"Are you ready yet?"

Jacob steps out of his house. "God. Honestly, you're such a hassle at times."

"I was born this extra," John drives his point home by posing like bikini model in the middle of Jacob's front porch. "And you're just gonna have to live with it."

Jacob grunts, pocketing his keys and wallet. "I will punch you, doucheface."

"I love you too, brother."

Jacob's features twist into something sour. "Gross."

John turns around and beckons Jacob with his hand. "Let's move. We got a café date to catch. "

Jacob scoffs and corrects him, "It's my café date. You're tagging along because Rico's bringing a friend I know nothing about."

Jacob walks up to stand beside John. "Don't you worry, I'm gonna test the Seed charm on the stranger and you can focus on that piece of ass you said you're claiming," John raises his brows teasingly.

Jacob groans. "That piece of ass has a name, which I've told you before. Rico's a smart guy, and honestly he's got the sharpness I'd like in a long-term partner."

John laughs and instead wiggles his eyebrows. "We only have a few minutes left to go there, right? Let's go now."

"Yeah, yeah," Jacob replies, his tone sounding almost exhausted. They're not even there yet, Jacob should be wasting his energy on trying to get Rico.

\-----------

It takes a few minutes for the two brothers to locate the café, but when they do, Jacob says Rico is waving them over.

He's not concerned about that, though. What he is concerned about is the fact that Jacob's interest is also friends with Garret. Just... how? 

"John, what are you doing," Jacob impatiently pulls at John's wrist to get him to move.

He shakes his head and blinks. "Y-yes, I was just distracted."

Jacob leans over and raises his right brow. "Saw someone you want?"

"Shut up." John falls into step with Jacob, noticing the way Garret looks at John in surprise.

Garret rises from his seat. "John?"

John and Jacob take their seats across from Garret and Rico. Jacob and Rico start talking, but John tunes them out. He's only concerned about Garret. "Yes," John replies, leaning back and resting his head on his arms. "Who were you expecting?"

"Not you, honestly," Garret leans forward, his arms tucked under the table. "You never told me you had a brother."

John releases one arm from under his head and holds out three fingers. "Two brothers, one sister."

"Are there any others in the area I should know about to avoid any surprises?"

"Just him and Joseph," he tries not to sound smug. Not that Garret would catch on, he thinks.

Garret lowers his head for a moment, seemingly pondering something. "You mean the pastor at St. Hermelin?"

"Yeah," he stares at Garret for a moment, holding his gaze even as Garret looks up to return the stare. "That same guy. He's my older brother, and this guy," he points to Jacob, "is the eldest. He could be a sugar daddy at his age."

Garret's eyes go wide and he covers his mouth. "He can hear you, calm down."

John shakes his head. If he knows his brother, he's tuned out John just as much. "He's busy with your friend. Though I'm sure he won't be that successful. If anything, the man makes flirts that sound like criminal threats."

Garret quietly laughs. "I think I would be afraid. But not Rico. He can take it like a champion and dish it back twice as hard."

"Sounds like a prized fighter."

"Yeah," he hands a cup to John. "I don't know if you like creamer, sugar, or sweetener so they're just in separate packets..."

John takes the cup and the packets from Garret. "Thank you very much." John tears a few packets of brown sugar to mix into his coffee. A good stir and he can finally enjoy a sip. "So Rico is your friend, eh? Anyone else I should know about in case I see them in the neighborhood?"

Garret takes a sip of coffee. "Miko-kun... that is, Michael Mikotoba. He's half Japanese, half American. He's middle-aged, but he still looks handsome. If you see him walking around, he's most likely wearing hakama, a long-sleeved shirt, and a sash..."

"Hakama?"

"They're pants that sort of look like a widening cylinder, with the widest part being at the bottom of the leg."

"Does that ever get uncomfortable?" John watches Garret take a sip, every swallow requiring throat muscles to move. For some reason, he can't easily see a lump. Maybe his neck is too thick. "I would think the excess cloth gets in the way sometimes."

"Miko-kun tells me it's very comfy, especially when it's hot." Garret glances at Rico, who is engaging Jacob with heated stares and toothy grins. "The breeze blows through his legs and gives a much needed cooldown."

"And you? What do you usually wear?"

John decides to dip his eyes lower and take stock of Garret's top. A plunging neck line on a guy? John has never considered the possibility, but the dark green does well to hide attention from the dip. Not that John would focus on the shirt. "Nothing this exposing, but it's really hot out today and I care more for my comfort."

"Careful you don't draw the wrong kind of attention," John looks up, trying not to bite his lip. Trying very hard.

"I can take care of myself, John," Garret rubs his wrist. "I think I should be more scared for you because you're trying really hard to expose your chest and you don't look that strong."

John blinks, looking offended. He places a hand to his chest dramatically. "Oh, how hurtful. Garret, I thought you knew me better than that." He leans forward, almost as if invading Garret's space. Garret holds his ground. "I'm a patissier. What do you think I've learned to use in the trade?"

Garret blinks, unsure of why John is suddenly leaning forward. "So you know how to use a knife?"

"Exactly."

"Okay. And I know disarming techniques from a few different disciplines."

John moves away from Garret, returning to his seat. "Did you have anything planned for tomorrow?"

Garret shakes his head. "I have nothing to do tomorrow. Why?"

"Wanna go to St. Hermelin, attend mass?"

Garret blinks and looks confused for a few seconds. "But I'm atheistic... am I still allowed to enter the church?"

John laughs and waves off Garret's words. "Yes you are. You don't have to believe. You can just sit with me until mass is done so I can introduce you to Joseph."

Garret's eyebrows scrunch together. "I honestly do want to meet all of your brothers, so that would be nice."

"Tomorrow, 4 PM, St. Hermelin. Got it?" John finishes off his coffee, settling the cup with a tiny clink.

Garret nods. "Miko-kun told me he'd be going there too. If ever I don't know where the church is, I can always ask him."

John stands up and leans over to his brother. "Hey, you gonna be here for long?"

Jacob groans in irritation. "We live in separate houses. If you wanna complain about going home, you can't exactly do that now can you?"

"No, man. I'm gonna try and get an invite to the other guy's house."

Jacob raises his brow and looks at John with a neutral face. "Calm the hell down, John. You get plenty of opportunities."

"I'm asking." John returns to his seat and doesn't hear Jacob's response. He sits in front of Garret and asks, "So, when do I get to see your house?"

"When you bring yourself over with a gift and surprise me."

"Harsh words," John smiles with a laugh. "I'll get to work, then."

"I'll wait. Let's just enjoy this café for a while longer, yeah?"

"Yeah."


	3. It's Simple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John brings Garret to church, and they make their way home to prepare for a nice dinner together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this came up late, I had real life to deal with, gross.

Garret nervously runs a hand through his hair while waiting for John to arrive. He takes stock of himself to provide a distraction. A grey, long-sleeved shirt and red flannel wrapped around his waist. His pants and shoes are nothing to write home about, both a safe color brown.

Soon enough, John walks by wearing a blue, horizontally-striped polo and slacks altered to fit his legs snugly. "Well hello there, good looking."

Garret tries to avoid embarrassment by replying with a detached, "You too."

John slides up to Garret's side, snaking an arm somewhere and somehow. "It should just be us and my brother Joseph that you'll recognize there."

"Jacob isn't here?"

John scratches the back of his head and shrugs. "He said he had something important today. Must be like an emergency if it's on short notice."

"What does he do, anyway?"

"Animal breeder. He likes dogs," John puffs out a breath, his hands resting on his hips.

Garret's eyes brighten. "I love dogs. Do any of you have a pet?"

John shakes his head. "Most of us are too busy for pets. If any of us got one, it'd just be neglected and that wouldn't be good."

Garret just nods along. "What is your brother talking about today?"

John laughs softly at Garret, him simply snaking an arm around Garret's waist. Garret can't tell if he's uncomfortable or elated. "His sermon today is about love and patience," he utters with a knowing smile. 

Is that a strange topic? Garret doesn't make anything of it and he instead asks, "Where will we be sitting?"

"Somewhere near the front where Joseph can see us better." He walks in without a moment's hesitation, waving for Garret to follow.

Garret quietly follows John, keeping his eyes forward and trying not to let them wander. It would probably be rude if he was looking at everything without (word of holding back). He notices Miko in his peripheral vision wearing a dark green kimono. John takes a seat on the same row as Miko, so Garret decides to sit near his friend.

"Garri-kun?"

Garret smiles and nods. "Yeah, it's me, Miko-kun. Why are you here?"

Miko slides a bit closer and leans over to whisper, "I was personally invited by the pastor, Joseph."

Garret widens his eyes, understanding that they're essentially here for the same person. "I'm here with one of his brothers. John told me he wanted to introduce me to Joseph after this mass."

John slides in the conversation out of nowhere and extends his hand to Miko. "Hey, I'm John Seed, brother of the pastor here."

Miko takes John's hand and shakes it firmly. "It is nice to meet you, John."

"Likewise," he replies, his tone smooth and practiced. "You're friends with Garret and Rico?"

Miko nods. "ん. I met Rico first, and then I was introduced to Garret. I daresay all three of us are very close friends."

"Guys," Garret speaks up, "I think Joseph is starting his mass."

Joseph walks up to the front and acknowledges his audience. "Yeah, let's listen now," John says as he looks at Joseph and takes his seat.

\-----------

Garret couldn't follow John, Joseph, and Miko to the room where they were talking. Joseph said it was for special people only, and John said that Garret shouldn't worry about not being allowed in. He has every right to be worried. What the heck are they gonna do to Miko? He will break in if he gets the smallest hint that Miko is in danger, damn the rules and all the believers guarding the premises.

It only takes a few minutes to assuage his fears as he finally sees the three walking outside of the room. Garret will ask about what happened later, but John was dragging him away from the church and to somewhere more private.

"Garret, I want to ask you something."

Garret tilts his head. "Yes?"

John folds his hands together and strokes his fingers, as if trying to keep himself calm. What's he so worried about? "I was wondering if I could come visit your house later tonight? I wanted to give you some more banana loaves."

Garret's eyes brighten. "I... yes, I would absolutely love that. I could make some extra food and we could have the banana loaves as dessert!"

John laughs and smiles. "It won't be that dinner you promised me on Saturday, though."

Garret scratches the back of his neck with a shy smile. "The weekend dinner will be better. We could probably say this is just off the record, yeah?"

John tilts his head up and smirks, his face looking confident in the higher angle. "I want to make jokes about whether this will be illegal, but I don't want to scare you off."

Garret wracks his brain for a joke. "Come join me in the darker side of the law. We have letters."

"Speaking of," John starts, walking in the direction his house, "what's with your letter? Kind of weird to give me something I can't open until later on in the week."

Garret blushes on the spot even as he continues to match his pace to John's. "I was kind of banking on succeeding with the invite." Garret's eyes fall half-lidded as he thinks about what to say next. "If you accepted my invite, you'd probably keep the letter. If I was kicked out before I could even start, at least you won't see what I wrote."

"Can't I read it now, though?"

"No," Garret responds with a tone of finality. "Wait until we have dinner. Best time to read it."

"Can't you tell me what's in that letter?"

Garret fights to stop himself from blushing any deeper than they are now. "No. It's... really difficult for me to express what I wrote. And it's too early for you to open it, so don't get any bright ideas!"

John laughs and shakes his head. "Then I won't do it. I'll simply have to wait on it, then."


End file.
